Destination: Fate
by Carleen
Summary: The Guardian Awakes. Come along for the journey and the adventure. Rated T for future scenes of violence and destruction.
1. Destination: Fate Prologue Chapter 1

TITLE: Destination: Fate

CHAPTER: 1, Prologue

* * *

"Control your own destiny or someone else will."

—Jack Welch, executive, CEO and entrepreneur

* * *

It began on a bright spring day. With flowers blooming in colorful pots, and gardens in carefully tended yards. Wild flowers appeared in beautiful natural arrays taking root where ever they pleased. The sound of children playing in the parks harmonized with the sound of baseball practice. Mothers and Fathers watched their children, while planning outdoor fun, like barbecues, summer trips and swimming parties. They discussed travel and which planet had the best accommodations and entertainment. Was the Moon out of style this year? Everyone talked about visiting Mars. The children laughed and played, giddy with freedom and the energy only children possess. Later there was swimming and a picnic lunch under the trees.

It ended with terror under a dark sky. A maelstrom of burning gasoline and smoke from thousands of other fires tainted the air and cloaked the midday sun. The sound of vehicles, their tires screeching and bleating horns competed with the cacophony of smells. Children screamed in fear, as their parents, finally, succumbed to panic. A city burned behind them, their once graceful homes ablaze as looters take their chances. For what? The only thing that has value today is survival.

Gunshots echoed through the dirty air. Men shouted at each other, trying to protect their families. Many sacrificed their lives in the process. Money changed hands as panicked fathers tried to get their families to safety. P_lease take my family. There's room in your car, please. I'm begging you.'_ Until finally, money lay unheeded and useless underfoot.

Mothers clutched babies to their chest as they tried to escape. Older children ran blindly behind them trying to keep up, blinking through their tears. Fathers tried desperately to keep their families herded together. Neighbors helped neighbors, friends assisted friends. Big brothers held tight to their sister's hands, and the older girls helped their mothers.

Slumped over in the passenger seat, with blood pooling under his head, is a man shot dead for no apparent reason. Someone had thrown open the doors of his van, only to leave it unmolested to join the crowd running for the only avenue of escape left.

A boy, not quite a teenager, made it to the small service door next to the exit tunnel. An hour ago, he'd watched his father die in the street in front of his school. It was up to him to protect his family and he's determined to get them to safety. His mother and sister followed him up the steps. They've made it. He will lead them through the tunnel to the other side. He pushed down the memories of the horror stories of what lived in these walls. Parents kept their children in line for decades with these stories. His friends played games where they storm The Wall to defeat the demons who lived there. He's only a young boy, but he's old enough to understand this isn't a game.

Others decided to follow the small family up the concrete steps. Dozens of people, more than he can count charged toward them. There's no more time. Slamming down the bar and throwing his shoulder against the door yielded nothing. He can't open the door and the entrance to the tunnel is choked with snarled traffic and hysterical people.

His mind screamed, _please stop shouting at each other. Please!_

The boy played enough video games to know how this will end up. He also knows there won't be any tall armored soldiers to save them. No band of tough army guys sneaking in to help them and no stealthy warship swooping in from the sky to pick them up. He wished briefly for the modded weapon from his favorite video game. It's the last childish thought he allowed himself. It's up to him now.

His mother joined him at the door and together they pushed. His sister screams and screams. Finally, the door opened just a crack. It's enough for them to see the piles of debris on the other side. So focused on the debris blocking the door, the boy failed to notice the rifle muzzle pushed through the opening. His mother saw it and clutched the boy to her. There's nowhere to run. People are pushing them from behind. So many people. His mother screamed. How strange, he turned his head up to her. He's never heard his mother scream. His sister stared at him with eyes wide and fingers stuffed into her mouth. Why is she wearing that red dress? It's not Sunday. He specifically remembered his mother telling her not to get it dirty or torn.

The boy never felt the bullet go through his narrow chest and into his mother. Never knew she died instantly. As his eyes closed, he watched someone in a uniform lift his sister protectively from the ground. _When Daddy gets here, he will fix everything,_ he thought, as he fell to the filthy ground_. _

_My Daddy will make them behave…_

* * *

The warmth of sunlight on my face, and the scent of wildflowers woke me. A voice, although I didn't recognize it, spoke to me in friendly tones. The dreams, my constant companion, floated away with the hot breeze that blew across my face.

That voice again, "Guardian? Eyes up, Guardian."

As I become more aware of my surroundings, I realized the voice had a mechanical tone. Odd.

"It worked," the voice claimed in an awed tone.

What worked? What is going on, I wondered and forced myself to sit up.

"You're alive."

Of course, I'm alive…

_~o0o~_


	2. Destination: Fate Chapter 2

TITLE: Destination: Fate

CHAPTER: 1, The Guardian Awakes

AN: A sprinkling of four-letter words. Apparently, she's a bit of a potty mouth. Hey, I can't control what they say, I just write the stuff down.

* * *

"Men at some time are masters of their fates.

The fault… is not in our stars

But in ourselves…"

_Julius Caesar,_ Act 1: Scene 2 —Shakespeare

* * *

My eyes finally opened and I'm surrounded by an orange colored forest of rusted vehicles. The Wall reared up to my right and I remember… by the grace of The Traveler, I remember the little girl! She was in my arms… Yes, she's still here. I felt my stomach churn and bile rose splashing into my throat. She's right here where she died protected by my body. Her small bones slightly less bleached than the other skeletons lying in disarray around me. Bits of the dress she wore — red, I remember. Red with little pink flowers — scattered around her. I watched the wind pick up the tattered remains.

"You don't know how long I've been looking for you," the mechanical voice continued on, as if nothing had changed. "You've been dead for a long time."

Useless grief, which I could not name or keep at bay, welled up in me. My new electronic friend watched me struggle to my feet before it started chirping at me again. Well, not exactly chirping. More like a deep male voice with just enough emotion to put you in a trusting frame of mind. Trust? No. Sorry. Not in my skill set. Easy to program, easy to hack. A good hacker could make the nice voice say whatever they needed it to say. Most people fell for it. They were idiots, but I'm not one of them.

What I saw when I gained my feet almost drove me back down. What had happened here? Memories were beginning to seep back into my foggy brain. Nothing I could put a handle on yet. I needed to locate my radio, and my crew and some food, in that order. Okay, yeah, I'm in denial. Wanna make something of it? This floating gadget, buzzing around my head, seemed like my only way out of this graveyard. Wait. What had the little guy said? Something about being dead for a long time? I stood swaying on unsteady legs and weak muscles trying to remember.

I took a step, and another. The electronic baseball took a polite step backward to make some room. Why had I even been out here? Oh yes… trying to escape. The little girl. I'd watched her mother and brother murdered at the service door. Took a chance by snatching her up and decided in that moment to use her as a ticket to get out of here. Out of the chaos and out of the doomed city. And, anywhere where no one knew my name or recognized my face.

I grabbed for my radio and came up with nothing but an empty, dusty pocket. Gone. Everything, gone? My crew… my son and Reglin. We were to meet up outside The Wall after… after. I guess I was late. Hundreds of years, by the look of things, too late. I bit down on my grief, stuffing it away. Giving in to that would only drag me down. It didn't work. I heard myself moan his name, before dry heaves dropped me like a stone to my hands and knees. What had become of them? The little guy hovered around me like a nervous bird.

"We are not safe out here, Guardian. We must take shelter."

"Shut the fuck up!" I shouted, wiping the spittle from my mouth with a dirty sleeve. The thing flared its silver fringe out from the central eye and swung back away from me.

"Guardian! Our only chance of survival is inside the wall. We must go now."

Persistent little shit. I closed my mind to all emotion, propelled myself off the ground, and trotted after it. Every few steps, it swung around to make sure I was still following. I'll admit, the sound of guttural growling and pounding feet behind us got my feet moving. It was only a few yards, but it seemed like a mile. Then we quickly dashed up the steps and through the broken door. I remembered the door had been blocked closed back then. I remembered more now. The little girl I'd snatched up from her dead family. She never said a word just stared at me with her fingers in mouth. I tried to skirt around the worst of the crowd and enter the Wall on the other side of the snarled traffic. Then I saw it, an opening beckoned between two stalled cars. If I could just slip through. With the little girl's arms around my neck I sprinted for the dark opening. We'd almost made it when something hit me hard between my shoulder blades. I stumbled and almost fell, but once I got myself righted, I kept running.

The memories are coming so quickly now. The little girl started coughing. I remember, I looked down at her and there was blood coming out of her mouth. The coppery smell of blood was everywhere. I only stopped when she sagged against me. The stunned fear in her eyes was gone. That's when I noticed the ragged hole of an exit wound in my chest. I held her close as we both died and I fell headlong in the dust.

My thoughts snapped back to the present once we dodged inside the Wall and the darkness enveloped us. There it goes again; prattling and fussing like an old grandmother.

"I can take care of the light and we must locate you a weapon."

Good. Good, I thought. Now we're getting somewhere. Then it left me standing in the darkness. The smell in here is as thick as the darkness. That had to be dead bodies I smelled. All around me, I saw decades of deterioration and the unmistakable smell of an open latrine. My stomach threatened to empty again. Great, no running water and I really needed a shower. My clothes were thick with dust. I imagined my deodorant had worn off by now. My hair was probably full of lice. Hey, I'm many things, but I'm no slob. However, I am very good at ignoring facts that don't suit my picture of reality. For example, how is it possible for me to be still alive?

A scream rose in my throat, ripping itself out of my chest and through my nose._ No! I will not panic. _

Finally, my new friend got the lights on and found a weapon for me. I'm getting to like this guy. The rifle felt good in my hands. Nothing like I'd ever seen before, but a gun is a gun right? Point the business end in the right direction and squeeze the trigger. No problem. We're moving again. Grief still lingered at the back of my throat, but my practical mind is making a list. Figure out who's in charge; find a place to hole up, and maybe, if I'm lucky, a bath, and some new clothes.

We entered another hallway and I heard the silver ball bearing, mutter. "I sure hope you know how to use that thing."

Just then, two creatures — don't ask. I have no idea — dropped into the hallway about fifty feet from our position. What the fuck were those _things_? Is that an example of what what I heard out there following us?

My new friend answered my silent question. "Those are Fallen," he explained politely.

Globs of blue plasma shot past my head. Sorry boys, that's not how this goes. I aimed down the scope, a little surprised that my hands weren't shaking. Breathe in — breathe out — squeeze the trigger. Once. Twice and they're both down. Now I can get a good look at them. But there's no time, because the silver ball bearing was hurrying me down the hallway, muttering about how those were Fallen and we needed to get me home. Home? Home was back there… Home was Reglin. I stumbled, but kept going.

Then it's a battle all the way through The Wall. While we ran and I shot down the bad guys, I noticed how everything is so run down. Not just run down, in a state of decay. There's rust, sewage, and filth everywhere. No security. Some of the brand names were still visible after all these years. Why had no one tried to rebuild? And who and what are these Fallen creatures? Two more questions for my list.

Then we burst through a set of crooked doors, barely hanging on their hinges, into a large room. It's a hangar bay from the shape of it, with a high ceiling and large sliding doors. Dangling from wires that don't look thick enough to hold it off the floor, was a small ship. How it could possibly be space worthy didn't worry me. I checked my rifle and took cover. No time to worry about it, the damn antique was swarming with Fallen.

Time to clear the area. First, pop the half-dozen or so of those freaks trying to keep us from getting to the ship. Second, get the hell out of here.

Then something bigger and badder charged into the room. Before I could get my rifle up, the silver bullet transported me into the ship. That was impressive. Regular FM. Then very quickly, we were in space. My mind couldn't begin to integrate all that I had seen in the last hour. I let my head fall back on the cracked and dusty headrest. I couldn't stop the emotions from bubbling up. My son is… was five years old. He couldn't possibly have survived on his own. What had become of Eglin, or my crew? Tears tumbled over the dirt on my cheeks. For once, the little guy was quiet. Eventually, I slept.

* * *

"Guardian!"

That was all the warning I got before that silver son of a bitch dropped me out of the ship. Luckily, I landed feet first and quickly recovered. He sped away with the ship before I could start shouting at him. Great. Fucking, great. Now, I'm stranded. The question is where am I stranded?

The answers to that question are in the towering spires around me. The busy airport to my right and a warm, bright sun glittering along clean walkways and graceful curving paths. The brightly colored flags waving and snapping in a fresh breeze. The silver guy had mentioned something about a tower. Was this it? Well, he'd been right about everything else.

Moving hesitantly to the central area, I began to notice others dressed like me. Cleaner and newer versions of my clothes, I'll grant you. One or two people looked me up and down. Others waved. One heavily armored gentleman waved, did a quick dance in front of me, then grabbed me by the shoulders and pointed. I waved my thanks to him and headed across the open area.

Gradually, question by question, I found everything I needed. Everyone responded to my queries politely. I wondered if they were accustomed to newbies around here. A robot pointed out the entrance to the living quarters. When I walked inside, no one seemed surprised to see a disheveled woman in filthy clothes. They greeted me politely, calling me Guardian and showed me to a room. The shower had been hot and refreshing, the new clothing fit well and I found a kiosk selling alcohol and food.

With the lengthening shadows, my body drooped with fatigue. I dragged myself up a flight of stairs to a balcony that looked out over the common area. The beer was cool on my parched throat and the sandwich filled the empty place in my belly. But I was still alone in a world I could no longer identify. Sure, there were plenty of other humans. Somehow that didn't help much.

By the third beer, I noticed people climbing on top of a building almost directly below me. What was so attractive about a large fan? I got my answer when I reached for the fourth beer and noticed a small sign, which read "Activate Fan."

WTF, is this? I wondered. Not being the overly cautious type, especially after three beers, I pressed the button. Laughing and screaming in fun, several people flew into the air. I tried it again, with the same result. After laughing my way through the last of the six-pack I finally laid back on the deck. I'm not gonna lie. I was pretty buzzed. Okay, I was drunk. Happy?

My little silver friend drifted over me and scanned my body. Nosy bastard.

"Hardly behavior befitting a Guardian Hunter," it said, with what I swear sounded like a sniff of displeasure or maybe it was testing me for blood alcohol levels.

Did this guy ever shut up? Wait. What did he call me?

"Hey," I said, waving an empty bottle at him. "I got a question. Am I a zombie, or what?"

~o0o~


	3. Destination: Fate Chapter 3

TITLE: Destination: Fate

CHAPTER: 3, A Matter of Chance

* * *

"Destiny is no matter of chance. It is a matter of choice. It is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved."

—William Jennings Bryan

* * *

_We're floating and he's kissing me senseless. He's teasing me and __I shifted impatiently under the weight of his muscular body. __Reglin, t__he handsome rascal had me pinned beneath him. He always had this effect on me. Like no one else ever had. Not even my son's father had loved me with the depth and intensity of this man. My Reglin. I smiled back at the handsome display of white teeth, tanned skin, and green eyes. I wrapped my legs around his hips and watched his eyes widen. There are voices in the room. Damn, them. My crew knew better than to interrupt us._

The lovely dream faded as I noticed someone very close is talking about me. I decided to listen before reacting.

_"_Do you think she's dead, Mica?"

A female voice and young by the sound of her. Then a male voice answered her.

"Dunno. By the number of empty beer bottles I'd wager she's nearly dead."

"Look. Her eyes are moving and there's a smile on her face now. I think she's hav'n a real nice dream."

"Yeah Hettie," the young man responded thoughtfully. "I see that." Then I felt him kneel at my side and run his finger slowly along the thin line of skin not covered by my hood and goggles. "Maybe I should help her along."

"Mica, you are a terror. Leave her alone. We checked on her. Now let's go. We got work to do. Most importantly, Brother, money to be made."

While he watched for a reaction, he enjoyed looking over the feminine curves outlined by the close-fitting Hunter's uniform. At some point, she'd pulled off the breather, but the rest of her face and head was still hidden under the hood and goggles. He wondered how old she was. For reasons he couldn't name, his instincts told him she was something more than just another noob at The Tower.

Then, before he could reply to his sister, I had him on his back, staring up at the morning sky. With my thighs squeezing his rib cage and the edge of a broken bottle dug into his neck.

I hissed into his face, "I'll _wager_ I'm the terror. Wanna bet?"

A grin split his face. "Ain't really a betting man. But I'll wager breakfast, there's a pretty girl under that hood." His eyes shifted to his sister. "Sis might have other ideas, though. Breakfast might have to wait."

Fully awake now, I heard the unmistakable sound of a bullet sliding into a chamber and the safety clicking off. Tossing the bottle away from me, I stood up slowly and stepped away from the pair. What, in the name of The Traveler had these two been up to. Robbery? I almost laughed; they'd picked the wrong mark. The female and I made eye contact. I could tell she wasn't kidding. Well, I wasn't either. Could hardly blame her for wanting to protect her partner. I'd let them be friendly… to a point.

I did the right thing and carefully shouldered my weapon. With a nod of understanding, she matched my movement. I put my hands out palm up.

Her partner managed to scramble to his feet all by himself. Now, three fully armed people are staring each other down.

"Name's Mica, this is my sister, Hester," he offered, keeping his own hands out where I could see them.

Backing up a step so I could keep them both in my line of sight, I gave the young man a look over. There's a wicked looking rifle on his back and his uniform is more like armor than anyone I'd seen yet. A shock of sun yellow hair covered his head. Blue eyes crinkled at the corners and a generous, smiling mouth. Head and shoulders taller than me, I had to look up at him to catch his eye. I always hated that. Okay, I admit it, I'm a little confrontational. .

His sister looked enough like him to make me believe they were related. Although her blond hair was almost white and her eyes were icy rather than sky blue. If I had to guess, I'd say there were within a year or two of my own age.

"You have a funny way of making someone's acquaintance." I said dryly. There was no sense in making enemies, at least not today. I pulled the hood back, but just to be safe left the goggles in place. Because, here's the truth of it, I'm hungover, aroused by the dream and the fact that nothing will ever be as it was just smacked me in the face again. It hurt.

I had to learn my way around. They could have robbed me when they had the chance; instead, they stayed with me until I awoke. Maybe I'd let my guard down just a little bit or until they proved otherwise.

"Obviously you're new here. Where's your Ghost?" The brother asked. He'd given up on the smile for now, because now he was staring at my curly black hair. I hated my hair. I'd stuffed it under the hood hours ago and now it hung in complete disarray past my shoulders.

While he's distracted, I could figure out how he knew I was a newcomer and what is a ghost, anyway?

"Where's yours?" I countered. Brilliant. This was already turning into more questions than I was interested in answering. I pulled the breather back over my face. "Look, I appreciate the fact that you didn't rob me. But…"

They both bristled at my comment. Open mouth, insert foot.

"Guardians don't steal from each other," the sister said stonily. Then Mica chimed in, his face equally set.

"You're new here. My sister and I watched that old wreck of a ship drop you off. We were all new here once."

I thought about that while I picked up the beer bottles and tossed them in the receptacle. I wasn't ready for any kind of instant friendship. I needed to find my own way around here, do some serious thinking, and make a plan. So I gathered up my stuff, pushed my hair under the hood and tried to take my leave of these two. This time the sister stopped me.

"We want to make you an offer. There's coin to be made here and you'll need cash to upgrade your armor, fix the ship, and buy better weapons. My brother and I will show you around if you'll help us with a job or two. What do you say, miss?"

Miss? Did she just call me miss?

As it turned out, the silver bullet saved me from having to answer.

"Guardian! Time to check on your ship and get going!"

"There's your ghost," the brother observed.

So that's what they'd been referring to. I really must pay more attention to his chattering. He may have already told me that bit of information. This little guy is _my_ ghost.

"Time to get going," I said cheerfully. You two be careful out there." As if I had any idea of what was _out there_. Then I I followed my Ghost back to the central complex found a quiet corner and allowed myself a good old-fashioned pity-party.

~o0o~


	4. Destination: Fate Chapter 4

TITLE: Destination: Fate

CHAPTER: 4, First Day at Work

* * *

"There's nowhere you can be that isn't where you're meant to be..." ― John Lennon

* * *

The sky was a cheerful bright blue by the time I exited the central complex. With my hangover gone and the dreams stuffed into that black hole of emotions that you could never properly deal with, but never want to get rid of. So what do I have? A chance at life, obviously. Had all of these people walking around really been just like me? Found by a Ghost and resurrected to do… what? I wasn't too clear on the where and how and especially not the why.

Maybe I should ask my Ghost. Ask him if my son was still alive and if it's possible to locate people and how long had I actually been dead and what my role was in all of this. What is a Guardian or a Hunter and why did that brother and sister dress differently than I. Before I knew it, I was choking on my emotions again.

"Guardian?" My Ghost hovered over me, speaking in a low almost soothing voice. "There's work for you to do. Perhaps it would take your mind off the past."

"How could you possibly know anything about my past," I asked scrubbing at my face.

"I know that you are a Guardian. Else, how could I locate you?"

He doesn't know everything about me. I turned my back on it again and returned my gaze over the city. At my feet is the city, I'm told this is the last safe place for humans. Its borders stretched to the horizon. Just above it all, still and silent, hangs the Traveler. Behind me, in groups large and small, are other humans, and some not so human. I thought I saw a robot, or was it a cyborg earlier. I'd heard other names, too. Strange names like, warlock, titan, awoken, and exo.

I took a deep breath of morning air. To my relief found it was a breath I could finally take without a dam of unresolved grief threatening to break.

So, by the way, my name is Shanti, I guess I forget to tell you that earlier. Got a lot on my mind. It means peace in Sanskrit. I know, funny, huh? If I had ever known my mother, I guess I'd say she had a good sense of humor. Then she really couldn't have known back then how I would turn out today.

Well, let's get this rodeo started, I thought and looked up at my Ghost, "Let's go."

And just like that I'm back in my small ship and we're headed into space. I'm pleasantly surprised that the seats no longer leak dust or smell like asshole.

The little guy is talking like a tour guide so I figured I'd better listen.

"We are landing in an area referred to as Old Russia. I believe we can retrieve equipment, which will allow the jumpship to break orbit and visit other planets in our solar system."

"What you're saying is we need to find a device which provides the ship with enough propulsion and sufficient fuel to escape the gravity well of Earth and achieve escape velocity. Where the ship's speed at which the kinetic energy plus gravitational potential energy is zero. Although the term escape velocity is often used to describe this action, the accurate term is escape speed."

Now how had I known that? A glance at the silver bullet

He flared himself at me and we drove down through the layers of atmosphere to my first day at work.

While I checked my weapons, he flared at me again. "I'm not saying it will be easy, Guardian."

I shrugged. "Okay, so it's like my first day at work and it's Monday and I don't know anyone."

"You have a strange sense of humor, Guardian."

I couldn't argue that point. "Hey, Silver. Was it my imagination, or were there a whole lot more people at the Tower this morning."

"You were not wrong. We need your help, Guardian. Many more of you were recruited. Do not doubt your role as our savior. If we are to survive… there will be great sacrifice and great reward. We need you Guardian…


	5. Destination: Fate Chapter 5

TITLE: Destination: Fate

CHAPTER: 5, Everybody's Working for the Weekend

* * *

"Everyone's watching to see what you will do

Everyone's looking at you

Everyone's wondering will you come out tonight

Everyone is trying to get it right, get it right"

_Working for the Weekend_, Loverboy. 1981

* * *

_What were these ugly fucks? _My mind screamed the question as I threw a grenade into the midst of them. Like a swarm of giant cockroaches they chittered and scuttled trying to overrun my position.

Then in a ball of fire and a satisfying explosion, three of them shattered into pieces. _Nice._ No, I don't know where the grenades came from. I just found them hanging on my belt. You know, like an accessory. Getting more of them, that's for sure.

While I'm congratulating myself, a few of them move away to flank me. A glob of hot plasma whizzed past my head. That was close. Diving for cover, I came up on my feet behind some rusty old containers. With no illusions about how long this thing would hold together under the steady barrage of some really pissed off monsters, I scanned for the next spot.

Behind me, there's an opening like a hallway or an office. Perfect, if I could get them to chase me I could bottleneck them into a hallway and pick them off one by one.

The little silver flashlight assured me we needed a warp coil to make orbit. That's why we were here. He hadn't told me these creepy bastards would be waiting for us. We'd landed close to the place he'd found me in an area he called Old Russia. He'd gotten the name right, just left out filthy. There might be good tech here, but you had to wade through dirty and disgusting to find it.

Time to get moving. I sprinted for the hallway. Didn't take them long to locate my movement. Plasma fire rained down around me as I ducked into the smaller room. One of them got lucky and the plasma bullet hit my foot, neatly flipping me over. It burned so hot and fast, I waited in anticipation of the pain when it burned through my boot to my skin. As my feet left the ground, I noticed two humans watching me from the next room.

I landed painfully on my back in a cloud of dust and for a moment, everything went black. Someone yanked me to my feet and pulled me further into the building. When my eyes stopped spinning, I recognized the brother and sister.

"I keep finding you in compromising positions," Mica observed dryly and pulled me to my feet.

"I'll compromise you, if you don't get your hands off me," but my attempt at bravado fell flat as my pride. Now, I suppose I owed him my life.

He just laughed and didn't let go of me until we'd backed into another office. Then he bowed low over my hand, "Guardian, you shock me with your forward behavior. We hardly know one another." He bent close and whispered in my ear, "Sadly, now is not the time. We need to get those Fallen before they call in reinforcements. Otherwise…"

He'd winked at me. Winked! He was handsome I'd give him that. Not that I'd ever tell him. A roar from the next room allowed me to snatch my hand away. We checked our weapons and moved as a team back into the fight.

Hester ran through the next room to flank and in just a few seconds we'd have them between us. Together we'd make short work of them. I set to work knocking down those flying turrets. A damn nuisance is what they were.

With Mica and I working shoulder to shoulder the fighting took on an easy rhythm. There seemed to be no end to them. We would quickly run out of ammunition at this rate. I'd thrown my last grenade five minutes ago. Then he shouted something at me I didn't understand. I heard the words, but didn't grasp the meaning. What is he talking about? Punch these guys… with my fist?

"Don't let them get so close to you," he said grabbing me by the arm and pulling me close enough to hear him over the weapon's fire. The sound of his frustration easy to hear. "Use your melee punch if they do." Then he let me go and we dove for cover. "You can't always rely on your weapon," he shouted

One of the crazier aliens chose that moment to charge us. I got my weapon up and it kicked hard against my shoulder as I fired. Headed directly for Mica, I kept firing until my weapon clicked empty. A bolt of plasma struck my chest, nearly knocking me down.

Mica dropped to a crouch. What was he doing? That was no way to protect himself. The thing was almost on him. I charged into intercept him, intending to punch the monsters face in with the butt of my rifle. The filthy muddy water slowed me down and I was knee deep in it before I could reach Mica.

I could only hope Hester would pick him off. Instead, on the other side of the hangar bay, she's shouting at me, "Use your super charge," she shouted.

_Fuck, fuck, fuck,_ what was she talking about? This would be my fault. I knew it. This was all wrong. Mica went down with a knife through his abdomen. Well armored he was, but the monster seemed to know just where to hit him.

Mica grunted in pain and dropped to the ground. With his brow furrowed at when he noticed the look on my began to leak between his fingers.

Then suddenly the monster's head exploded in a cloud of gore and metal. I sprinted to Mica's side.

Now the silver guy is screaming at me, too. "IT'S IN THE WALL!"

Hester ran past us, shouting, "Revive him! I've got this!"

_Revive him?_ No med kit and no hope of calling for a medic. At least I hadn't seen one. In fact, now that I thought about it in that rush of adrenaline that comes in these situations, I hadn't seen any medical facilities at the Tower.

All thoughts stopped while I watched the creature jump down from his hole located high up on the wall. These things must have tunnels all over the Cosmodrome. Easily twice the size of the monsters we'd just fought, his four hands held deadly looking weapons. Swords clutched in his hands large enough to slice us all to lunch meat.

I pushed down the worry over Mica and joined his sister in taking down the beast. With Mica's weapon in my hands, I fired at the thing in short controlled bursts. Just when it seemed to be tiring, Hester dropped to a crouch and I watched in shock as a bolt of blue lightning spread from her hands to the beast.

With a great roar it died, its body seeming to melt and float away. Hester ran past me, shouting at me to get out of the way. Just as she got to me, she dropped a punch on my jaw so quickly that I could neither block it nor get out of the way. Then as I rocked back from the blow, I watched her drop to her knees beside her brother. I thought there's not much we could do for him. Most likely, he bled out while we fought the thing. I felt sorry for her loss and guilt at my inability to protect him or render aid.

Everything went quiet. My Ghost appeared at my shoulder. "You killed an Archon," the little guy said in wonderment. "We need to go see the Speaker," as if I had the slightest idea what he was talking about. "Come, Guardian. She will revive her brother. All is not lost."

"Her brother is dead and it's my fault! I'm not going anywhere in this fucked up world you brought me into!" I let the anger pour out of me.

Hester was still kneeling next to her brother and now she's staring at me as if I'd just sprouted another set of arms. Before I could offer an apology or return the weapon, my Ghost whisked me away.

The new leather seat in my jumpship offered me little comfort. My hands were shaking and my gut churned with a poisonous mixture of guilt and fear. It was going to be a real miracle if I didn't just throw up all over the new deck plating.

"Guardian, we need to talk."

Ah, a target. Just what I needed. "You're damn right we do! Now how about you fill me in on all the things I'm already supposed to know."

The thing flared back, its blue eye churning with light. When it didn't comment I threw myself back in my seat and pulled my knees under my chin. My mind spun with half-formed memories, the events of the last 48 hours and the nagging suspicion I was in over my head. How I would love to have Reglin's strong shoulder to lean on about now. Instead, I fell asleep and dreamed of four-armed monsters chasing my son through dark, dirty hallways. I awoke as we landed, the sight of his small body skewered on a sword burned into my mind.

The walk up to The Speaker's office, which actually turned out to be some kind of terrace, was long and slow. Each step sending icy sweat down my back, until, by the time we reached him, I was shivering.

The sight of his imposing figure did nothing to ease my apprehension. What was he? I wondered. Another robot or perhaps a cyborg. We had that technology in my time, but nothing like this figure approaching us. Then very suddenly and quickly I'm afraid of him. No, not afraid. Apprehensive.

The silences grows as he examines me from head to foot. The glance he throws at my Ghost causes the little guy to flare out and back away from me. I do the same and my feet carry me backwards.

I hear footsteps behind me. Double footsteps. One heavy, most likely a male. The other light, probably a female. A quick glance confirms it's Hester and Mica. The hair comes up on my arms and I set myself for action.

More feet on the stairs behind me. Voices whispering… questioning…

Mica's rifle is in my hands before I'm consciously aware of its presence. My thumb shoves the safety off. The air crackles with suspicion and I fill my lungs with it. Adrenaline answers the call and fills me with power. I'm ready.

The Speaker's voice booms through the room, "What have you brought into our midst, Ghost? "


	6. Destination: Fate Chapter 6

TITLE: Destination: Fate

CHAPTER 6, Suspicion

* * *

"Preparation for war is a constant stimulus to suspicion and ill will."

—James Monroe

* * *

"Shanti?"

I spun around at the unexpected sound of someone speaking my name. No one knew my name here. Yet, there's Mica, very much alive, walking toward me with his hands out, palms up. The other Guardians massed on the stairs stayed silent.

Hester removed her helmet and goggles to nod at me. "It's okay," she mouthed.

"Shanti, that's my favorite weapon. I'd like it back now."

"You're alive?" How was that possible? He'd bled out. I know what I saw.

"_Ghost!_ Must I repeat myself, what have you brought into our midst?" The Speaker's unmistakable voice captured everyone's attention.

My Ghost was spinning so fast I worried he might fly apart. Obviously, he had no answer. But if all of us had been dead, dead for centuries and we all had our own Ghost, then this little light bulb had taken pretty good care of me. Or, did everyone get a shake down by this guy swathed in cotton sheets, an officious British accent and a freaky mask?

Tearing my eyes away from the noticeably alive Mica I faced the Speaker. The weapon stayed right where it belonged, in my hands and in plain sight. Mica could wait a damn minute. It was time to throw the bullshit flag down at this party. I spoke directly to the Speaker, he stepped back, which seemed much the same behavior as my Ghost.

Odd.

"So, Mister Speaker," I shouted over the din of the crowd. "Just how was this silver flashlight expected to identify me as anything more than a pile of sun-bleached bones? Or is this just another one of those zombie reality shows?"

My sense of humor usually got me in trouble and by the look on the faces of the other Guardians, I'd done it again. Does anyone have a sense of humor around here? Apparently not, because I got my answer a second later when my feet left the floor. One of those Warlocks fired a bolt of blue light at me. Normally, I'd have moved out of the way. But my attention was so divided, the bitch nailed me right in the chest and over the railing I went.

"Show some respect!" A voice shouted above me.

As I bounced hard on the floor below, I thought, they probably wouldn't bring me back again a second time. So ends my illustrious, although very short, career as a Guardian.

In the seconds between falling, hitting the floor and the realization that I was still alive my head exploded in pain. Base, blinding hatred roared to life in me, propelling me to my feet. Mica's weapon came alive in my hands. The rifle roared while I sprayed bullets toward the Speaker just coming down the stairs. I watched his hands raise in self-defense. I raised the weapon and aimed down the sight, but the other Guardians surrounded him so quickly I couldn't get a shot off.

Then suddenly and inexplicably, he's moved away from those who want to protect him and holding his hand up to stop the crowd from advancing. Everything got very quiet. When the Speaker approached the pain in my head shot through my limbs like a flash of lightening. Igniting pain along my arms and legs and forcing me to move. A scream ripped from my throat and became words. Harsh guttural words grind out of my mouth as if my throat is filled with broken glass. Mica and Hester ran toward me. Then someone or something began to speak through me. Any attempt to stop it or use my own voice brought more pain.

"_SPEAKER! THE TIME HAS COME FOR YOU TO FACE PUNISHMENT FOR THE THOUGHTLESS SLAUGHTER OF MY ARMIES. YOU IMPUDENT CHILDLIKE HUMANS IMAGINE YOU OWN THESE WORLDS."_

Had I just said those words? Then I'm running toward the Speaker again, my weapon aimed at his spooky mask. I screamed again to silence the voice inside my head and weapon's fire knocked me back. Blasted open, the front of my armor is torn and the cloth on fire. Just before the flames reached my neck, I managed to rip the hood from my head. I couldn't breathe! The goggles, the hood, and the short cape I ripped from my body.

Coughing and retching in pain, a voice inside my head began to chant, _"Silence the Speaker. Silence the Speaker. Silence the Speaker. Silence the Speaker. Silence the Speaker." _A knife appeared out of nowhere and it's in my hand. With what's left of my own free will, I watched it embed itself in the Speaker's chest. He dropped to his knees and the voice began shouting again.

_"__WE OWN YOU AND THIS GALAXY. WE SHALL USE THEM UP AND FORCE YOU INTO SLAVE LABOR TO MINE THESE WORLDS FOR RESOURCES._"

Another bolt of weapon's fire knocked me backwards into the blue area under the spinning Armillary sphere. I stared up at it, admiring the brass workings of the map above me. It really is a beautiful thing. I wonder how long it will take me to hit the ground after they toss me over the railing?

Someone clamped a hand down on my shoulder and a voice hissed at me. "Stay down!"

No worries. I'll stay down. Promise. Because until someone puts the fire out I'm not moving. Pretty sure, I won't be able to stop screaming though. Then a bubble of blue light surrounded me. What's this? Strong hands lift me from the ground. Here we go, I thought, as the last of my vision faded, it's over the railing for me. Can you actually kill a Zombie with a thousand foot drop to the ground? I didn't think so. I think the only way to kill a Zombie is to cut off its head. Great. Now I have that to look forward to.

~o0o~

I hear voices. Then someone lifts my head and there's a drizzle of water against my lips. Quick as I begin to swallow, the pain flared again. Whatever took over my body is trying to force me to move, manipulate me into speaking words that are not mine. When I tried to shake it off, tried to sit up, I discovered my hands are bound. Oh yeah, and I'm naked.

Fingers carded through my hair and eased me back down. "Shhh, we're almost there. Don't fight so hard."

"T-There's something inside my head," I managed to say. Dizzy with pain, I fell back and everything went quiet again.

Later, I'm floating… no, someone is carrying me. I'm trying hard to wake up but this thing in my head won't let me. As if someone kept pushing my head back under water every time I tried to surface.

What was happening to me? Was this some initiation rite? Crazy bunch of folks, if that's the case. That was a real gun firing real bullets at the Speaker. The Speaker! I had tried to kill the Speaker. Pain went through my head again like a hammer blow. Arms tightened around me and tilted me… Tilted me? Ah, now I can lean my aching head against a shoulder.

"Almost there," the shoulder said.

Then at a distance, I heard another voice, a very different voice.

"We did not expect it to come back so soon. No doubt, it wishes to ask another favor. Something for your companion perhaps or the female you hold so tenderly in your arms? It does not look well."

"We do ask a favor, Queen. And one thing more. We request sanctuary."

~o0o~


End file.
